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The do’s and don’ts of hunting turkey

The spring wild turkey hunting season will open April 21 and run through May 18. From all indications, it’ll be a good one with a possible record kill. The turkey population is robust with plenty of toms and jakes, and a lot of hunters are going to head home hauling a heavy bird. A lot aren’t, too, and hunters who draw goose eggs too often will make a mistake or two — sometimes a simple one. And for this smart and wary game bird, one little error usually is enough. Veteran hunters offer the following advice:

Do’s

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Be careful with scouting. Too many hunters check out a farm a week or two before the season opens, and then go back on Opening Day expecting the birds to be where they were before. Turkeys move, often heading from one farm to another — wherever feed is best and easiest to find. Try hard to scout the night before your hunt, or at least just a day or two in advance.

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Use decoys. The best turkey hunters scorn decoys — saying it’s too easy — but there is no question they work. Take one hen or even two and one jake, place them in a nice opening not far from timber, then start calling. Sometimes a gobbler actually will come running when it sees a jake near its potential girlfriends.

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Sight in your weapon before you hunt. Picking up the family artillery and hoping for the best often doesn’t do it for turkey hunting. You must have a fairly tight pattern of No. 4s or No. 6s, which will put plenty of pellets into a bird’s head and neck. A middle-range turkey choke is a good investment, but at least try the gun and make sure there are no big holes or too much scattering.

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In broken country with little flat land, try to stay on hilltops. Turkeys like hilltops, which often have open areas for strutting. If a tom is on the same top, he’ll come easily most times. But they’ll seldom come from another hill, hiking down the valley and up the far side to reach you — especially if they already have hens around. When stuck on a hilltop in that situation, try to quietly move to a better location and call again.

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Practice your calling. Videos and tapes are available at nearly every sporting goods store, and you should practice until you’re at least decent and know the basic calls. It’s best to learn to use several different kinds of calls, too. If a tom doesn’t respond to one call, sometimes switching back and forth with several to imitate a small flock of lovelorn hens can make the difference.

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If you can roost a small flock and be in position come dawn, your odds are good of taking a bird. Turkeys often will use the same roost tree for days, even weeks if it’s in a prime feeding location. But remember that, if a gobbler has hens, he’ll often let them fly down first, then follow. If he’s alone, he might stay up there later scanning for hens. Be patient.

Don’ts

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If you haven’t pinpointed birds, and are just hunting and hoping, don’t move around unduly — at least on dry days when you’re making noise. Find a spot and sit down for a bit before calling to let birds calm down. Then give it 20 minutes or so, move on, and wait again before you tune up.

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Don’t call excessively. Too many of us get excited when a bird starts coming our way. We call constantly, hoping to hurry him along. If he’s coming, shut up. If he hangs up a little, give a cluck or two, but no more. And don’t be afraid to change calls on a suspicious gobbler — maybe from a cluck to a purr or hen yelp.

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Keep in mind turkeys have excellent eyesight (better than yours) and equally good hearing. Don’t move, except in slow motion, and don’t make noise when you are working on birds. I’ll always remember a good friend who called in a fine gobbler and smaller jake to his cluster of decoys, got them in range, then thumbed off the safety, which made an audible “click.” “Suddenly, all I had to aim at was the gobblers rump.” he said. “And it was disappearing at a rapid pace.”

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If a bird hangs up tight, let it go. Trying to turn an already-suspicious tom your way can spook him for keeps, especially in hard -hunted areas. Sit tight, wait until he leaves, and try again another day.

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Don’t start with a loud call. Experts recommend a soft tree yelp or two for openers. If nothing happens, a snappy hen yelp, then a few cuts, then a louder sound yet. If one is close, a soft call will do it. If further away, he’ll hear the louder call.